Introductory Texts & Dialogues

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  1. A Dialogue on Personal Identity and Immortality

    John Perry

    "Perry’s excellent dialogue makes a complicated topic stimulating and accessible without any sacrifice of scholarly accuracy or thoroughness. Professionals will appreciate the work’s command of the issues and depth of argument, while students will find that it excites interest and imagination." —David M. Rosenthal, CUNY, Lehman College

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  2. Abortion: A Dialogue

    Selmer Bringsjord

    Vigorously demonstrating the relevance of reasoning to important moral problems, the participants in this dialogue resist the temptations of strident emotional appeal in an effort to present the most honorable and intellectually sophisticated sides of their arguments. This effort leads them to consideration of ante-bellum slavery, to a comparison of the notions of absolute truth in ethics versus mathematics, and to constructive discussions of genetics, artificial intelligence, euthanasia, personal identity, human sexuality, and Roe v. Wade.

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  3. Applied Ethics: An Impartial Introduction

    Elizabeth Jackson, Tyron Goldschmidt, Dustin Crummett, and Rebecca Chan

    Applied Ethics: An Impartial Introduction prepares readers to evaluate selected classical and contemporary problems in applied ethics in a way that does justice to their complexity without sacrificing clarity or fairness of representation. Its balanced exposition and analysis, enhanced by helpful pedagogical features, make it an ideal book for introducing the ethics of real-life problems including abortion, animal rights, disability, the environment, poverty, and punishment.

    "Jackson, Goldschmidt, Crummett, and Chan are experienced teachers with a multitude of insights on the problems they explain in this splendid introduction to applied ethics. It is selective in focus but comprehensive in coverage; it is philosophically rigorous but remarkably clear in presentation; and each of the six sections is substantive enough for a good part of a course while the whole could occupy a full term. The book is an excellent choice as a main introductory text in applied ethics but so well laid out and referenced as to be a resource for students working in this field at any level. It has the clarity and concreteness needed for an introduction and the thoroughness needed in a higher-level study of the moral problems it explores." —Robert Audi, John A. O’Brien Professor of Philosophy, University of Notre Dame

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  4. Can Animals and Machines Be Persons?

    Justin Leiber

    “Written in a lively and entertaining style, this little book, which deals with topics such as ‘personhood,’ animal rights, and artificial intelligence . . . makes some rather difficult philosophical points clear in an unpedantic fashion.”
         —M. E. Winston, Trenton State College

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  5. Classics of Moral and Political Theory (Fifth Edition)

    Edited, with Introductions, by Michael L. Morgan

    The fifth edition of Michael L. Morgan’s Classics of Moral and Political Theory broadens the scope and increases the versatility of this landmark anthology by offering new selections from Aristotle’s Politics, Aquinas’ Disputed Questions on Virtue and Treatise on Law, as well as the entirety of Locke’s Letter Concerning Toleration, Kant’s To Perpetual Peace, and Nietzsche’s On the Advantage and Disadvantage of History for Life.

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  6. Classics of Western Philosophy (Eighth Edition)

    Edited by Steven M. Cahn

    The Eighth Edition of Steven M. Cahn's Classics of Western Philosophy offers the same exacting standard of editing and translation that made earlier editions of this anthology the most highly valued and widely used volume of its kind. But the Eighth Edition offers exciting new content as well, including Plato's Laches (complete), new selections from Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics (on courage), Descartes' Discourse on Method (complete), all previously omitted sections of Berkeley's A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge, and Kant's Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics (complete).

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  7. Dialogue on Consciousness: Minds, Brains, and Zombies

    John Perry

    John Perry revisits the cast of characters of his classic A Dialogue on Personal Identity and Immortality in this absorbing dialogue on consciousness. Cartesian dualism, property dualism, materialism, the problem of other minds . . . Gretchen Weirob and her friends tackle these topics and more in a dialogue that exemplifies the subtleties and intricacies of philosophical reflection. Once again, Perry’s ability to use straightforward language to discuss complex issues combines with his mastery of the dialogue form. A Bibliography lists relevant further readings keyed to topics discussed in the dialogue. A helpful Glossary provides a handy reference to terms used in the dialogue and an array of clarifying examples.

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  8. Dialogue on Good, Evil, and the Existence of God

    John Perry

    "Perry’s work is an engaging, highly readable introduction to the problem of natural and moral evil with respect to belief in an omniscient, omnipotent, and morally perfect God. This dialogue would work well as a supplement in either an introduction to philosophy or philosophy of religion course. . . . Perry is to be commended for taking a very difficult subject and making it accessible to a more general audience.”
         —Jeff Wisdom, Biola University

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  9. Discovering Philosophy (Fourth Edition)

    Thomas I. White

    Are we free or determined? Are things really the way they appear to be? What’s the difference between right and wrong? Can God’s existence be demonstrated?

    Discovering Philosophy looks at these and other fundamental questions that have bedeviled thinkers for centuries. Designed for students who are more comfortable with secondary than primary sources, Discovering Philosophy is both accessible and intellectually challenging. While it examines the ideas of traditional philosophers, it also considers perspectives that have historically been underrepresented (feminist philosophers and Native American thought), draws examples from popular culture, and considers cutting-edge philosophical questions raised by scientific discoveries (are dolphins nonhuman persons with rights?).

    Each chapter includes discussion questions, boxed highlights, and suggestions for further reading.

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  10. Does God Exist? (Second Edition)

    Todd C. Moody

    In this engaging introductory dialogue, Todd Moody maps the spectrum of philosophical arguments and counterarguments for the existence of God. Structuring colloquial conversations along classical lines, he presents a lively and accessible discussion of issues that are central to both theist and atheist thinking, including the burden of proof, the first cause, a necessary being, the natural order, suffering, miracles, experience as knowledge, and rationality without proof.

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  11. Engaging Philosophy

    Mitchell S. Green

    "Provides a wonderful and unique introduction to philosophy—not just to its central questions and the creative answers (some classic and enduring, some cutting-edge) that philosophers have given, but also to the shared techniques, style, and wonderment that makes philosophy so, well, engaging. The book can clearly be used on its own, or along with a selection of the philosophical texts it discusses. Particularly useful in this regard are the study questions and further reading suggestions that come at the end of each chapter."   
         —Joseph G. Moore, Amherst College

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  12. Five Dialogues (Second Edition)

    Plato
    Translated by G. M. A. Grube
    Revised by John M. Cooper

    The second edition of Five Dialogues presents G. M. A. Grube’s distinguished translations, as revised by John Cooper for Plato, Complete Works. A number of new or expanded footnotes are also included along with an updated bibliography.

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  13. Free Will and Determinism

    Clifford Williams

    “Nicely conceived, very clearly written. . . . A high level of philosophic substance and sophistication.”
         —David M. Mowry, SUNY at Plattsburgh

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  14. Freedom, Responsibility, and Determinism

    John Lemos

    "There has been a great deal of philosophical progress in the free will debate in the last two generations, and much of this progress has been complex and rather technical. In less than one hundred pages, John Lemos manages to introduce the reader to this debate, as well as to related debates about religion and science as they relate to free will—without dumbing down and in a pleasant, accessible dialogue form. This is an impressive achievement." —Saul Smilansky, Professor of Philosophy, University of Haifa

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  15. Hornbook Ethics

    Charles E. Cardwell

    "Teachers of introductory ethics and applied ethics classes will have a hard time resisting Charles Cardwell's Hornbook Ethics. I am a big fan. The author has a remarkable gift for briefly introducing the basics of moral philosophy, and his book is so clear and concise that any serious student will be able to learn much from it. Not every philosopher will share its views or priorities of course, but these are set forth with such clarity that it will be easy to use even disagreements as teaching moments. I am unaware of a better introduction to ethics whose brevity approaches this one's."
         —Peter Tramel, Department of Philosophy, Fort Hays State University

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  16. How Do You Know?

    Gordon Barnes

    "An excellent and engaging introduction to epistemology, with a special focus on issues in social epistemology that are very relevant in today’s world. An accessible guide to practical epistemological questions about which experts you should trust, the pervasiveness of bias in oneself and others, the proliferation of misinformation on the internet, and how you should respond when lots of people disagree with you. Highly recommended." —James Beebee, State University of New York at Buffalo

    "How Do You Know? is an accessible and engaging foray into the growing field of applied epistemology, and a welcome resource for students or anyone else coming to these issues for the first time." —David Coady, University of Tasmania

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  17. Human Nature: A Reader

    Joel J. Kupperman

    This anthology provides a set of distinctive, influential views that explore the mysteries of human nature from a variety of perspectives. It can be read on its own, or in conjunction with Joel Kupperman’s text, Theories of Human Nature.

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  18. Introducing The Existentialists

    Robert Solomon

    Imaginary Interviews with Sartre, Heidegger, and Camus

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  19. Introducing The German Idealists

    Robert Solomon

    Mock interviews with Kant, Hegel, Fichte, Schelling, Reinhold, Jacobi, Schlegel, and a letter from Schopenhauer.

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  20. Introductory Readings in Ancient Greek and Roman Philosophy, (Second Edition)

    Edited by C. D. C. Reeve and Patrick Lee Miller; General Introduction by Lloyd P. Gerson

    This concise anthology of primary sources designed for use in an ancient philosophy survey ranges from the Presocratics to Plato, Aristotle, the Hellenistic philosophers, and the Neoplatonists. The Second Edition features an amplified selection of Presocratic fragments in newly revised translations by Richard D. McKirahan. Also included is an expansion of the Hellenistic unit, featuring new selections from Lucretius and Sextus Empiricus as well as a new translation, by Peter J. Anderson, of most of Seneca’s De Providentia. The selections from Plotinus have also been expanded.

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  21. Invitation To Philosophy

    Yuval Steinitz
    Translated from the Hebrew by Naomi Goldblum

    “For the undergraduates who have read little or no philosophy, Yuval Steinitz’s Invitation to Philosophy is quite possibly the best introduction to philosophy available.”
         —Justin Leiber, University of Houston

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  22. Mind and Brain (Second Edition)

    Rocco J. Gennaro

    Since its publication in 1996, many thousands of students have first encountered key issues in the philosophy of mind in the pages of Rocco J. Gennaro's introductory work, Mind and Brain: A Dialogue on the Mind-Body Problem. In this new edition, Gennaro updates and expands the work to reflect current topics and discussions. The dialogue provides a clear and compelling overview of the mind-body problem suitable for both introductory students and those who have some background in the philosophy of mind.

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  23. Mind and Brain

    Rocco J. Gennaro

    The first edition of Mind and Brain is now out of print and has been replaced by a new second edition (February 2020). Click here for more information about the new second edition

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  24. Mind

    André Kukla & Joel Walmsley

    "Kukla and Walmsley state in their preface that they intend this volume as 'an introduction to the science of psychology for the nonspecialist who isn't afraid to do a little thinking.'  This goal is admirably achieved.  The authors present viewpoints about the mind held in the various schools of psychological thought.  The summary of each major perspective focuses on the central tenets of each model as they relate to the discipline as a whole. . . . [T]he authors' presentation of these sometimes-thorny, often-difficult constructs is clear. . . . This book offers not only a history of the most important contributions of the field but also an understanding of where psychology is at present.  The conclusion is simple but profound.  After more than a century of exploration, 'the mind is still a mystery.'  Summing up: Highly recommended."
         —D. M. Chirico, CHOICE

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  25. Mind, Man, and Machine (Second Edition)

    Paul T. Sagal

    Explores the ideas of Turing, Lucas, Scriven, Putnam, and Searle, and renders the Gödel-Church-Lucas argument in terms intelligible to beginning students. Updated and expanded to take into account important arguments and developments in the ten years since its original publication, this provocative dialogue explores the ideas of Turing, Lucas, Scriven, Putnam, and Searle, and renders the complex Godel-Church-Lucas argument in transparent terms.  It includes a new argument, based loosely on Tarski's work on truth and the liar paradox, and a new section dealing with the problem of qualitative features of experience, such as color properties.

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  26. Moral Philosophy: A Reader (Fourth Edition)

    Edited by Louis P. Pojman and Peter Tramel

    This collection of classic and contemporary readings in ethics presents sharp, competing views on a wide range of fundamentally important topics: moral relativism and objectivism, ethical egoism, value theory, utilitarianism, deontological ethics, virtue ethics, ethics and religion, and applied ethics. The Fourth Edition dramatically increases the volume’s utility by expanding and updating the selections and introductions while retaining the structure that has made previous editions so successful. (North American rights only)

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  27. Morality's Critics and Defenders

    Timm Triplett

    "The risk, when teaching ethics to undergraduates, is that the issues may easily sound too abstract and bookish to them. Timm Triplett's Morality's Critics and Defenders: A Philosophical Dialogue is the best antidote. By adopting a dialogical form and setting the stage in a classroom, with four very credible students and one teaching assistant as the protagonists, this concise but very valuable book will engage students and stimulate great class discussions. Big issues such as the relationship between religion and morality, the possibility of ethical relativism, animal rights and the moral implications of racism are engagingly covered and so are the most relevant moral perspectives. Students and teachers will undoubtedly find this book very useful, deep, and entertaining."
        —Mario De Caro, Tufts University

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  28. Philosophical Inquiry

    Edited, with Introductions, by Jonathan E. Adler and Catherine Z. Elgin

    This meticulously edited anthology provides a comprehensive, problems-oriented entrée to philosophy.  Substantial readings from major classical and contemporary thinkers—featuring many of Hackett's widely acclaimed translations—are supported by a general introduction, engaging introductions to each major topic, and a glossary of important philosophical terms. (North American rights only)

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  29. Philosophical Problems and Arguments (Fourth Edition)

    J. W. Cornman, K. Lehrer, and G. Pappas

    Widely used by instructors who emphasize the logical structure of philosophical theories and the dialectical play of argument, this popular work provides clear, reliable, and up-to-date discussions of central philosophical debates. The fourth edition incorporates major revisions—the first since 1982—and features an extensive change in content. Every chapter has been reworked to improve its organization, to make it more accessible and engaging to the student, and to reflect recent discussions.

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  30. Proslogion

    Anselm
    Translated, with Introduction, by Thomas Williams

    "Williams' translation is scrupulously faithful and accurate without being slavishly literal, and yet is lively and graceful to both the eye and the ear." —Paul Vincent Spade, Indiana University

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  31. Puzzled?!

    Richard Kenneth Atkins

    "A great, logical, introduction to the areas of philosophy. A student who is just starting in the path to 'philosophizing' will greatly appreciate this gem of a book."
          —Alberto Mendoza, Antelope Valley College

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  32. Readings in Ancient Greek Philosophy (Fifth Edition)

    Edited by S. Marc Cohen, Patricia Curd, and C. D. C. Reeve

    Soon after its publication, Readings in Ancient Greek Philosophy was hailed as the favorite to become "the 'standard' text for survey courses in ancient philosophy."* More than twenty years later that prediction has been borne out: Readings in Ancient Greek Philosophy still stands as the leading anthology of its kind. It is now stronger than ever: The Fifth Edition of Readings in Ancient Greek Philosophy features a completely revised Aristotle unit, with new translations, as well as a newly revised glossary. The Plato unit offers new translations of the Meno and Republic. In the latter, indirect dialogue is cast into direct dialogue for greater readability. The Presocratics unit has been re-edited and streamlined, and the pages of every unit have been completely reset. 

    APA Newsletter for Teaching Philosophy

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  33. Reason in the Balance (Second Edition)

    Sharon Bailin and Mark Battersby

    Unlike most texts in critical thinking, Reason in the Balance focuses broadly on the practice of critical inquiry, the process of carefully examining an issue in order to come to a reasoned judgment. Although analysis and critique of individual arguments have an important role to play, this text goes beyond that dimension to emphasize the various aspects that go into the practice of inquiry, including identifying issues and relevant contexts, understanding competing cases, and making a comparative judgment. Click here to view a PDF of the complete Table of Contents.

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  34. Six Myths about the Good Life

    Joel J. Kupperman

    "This is the best introduction to philosophical accounts of the good life available. An excellent choice for any student of philosophy, this original and revealing study will inform, stimulate, and challenge even the most sophisticated reader. Kupperman combines the distinctive care, precision, and analytic power of philosophy with the best insights of contemporary psychology and a sophisticated, sensitive, and wise appreciation of the Indian, Chinese, and Western philosophical traditions. The result is a modern classic."
         —Philip J. Ivanhoe, City University of Hong Kong

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  35. The Practice of Virtue

    Edited, with Introduction, by Jennifer Welchman

    This collection provides readings from five classic thinkers with importantly distinct approaches to virtue theory, along with five new essays from contemporary thinkers that apply virtue theories to the resolution of practical moral problems. Jennifer Welchman's Introduction discusses the history of virtue theory. A short introduction to each reading highlights the distinctive aspects of the view expressed.

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  36. The Problems of Philosophy

    Bertrand Russell

    SALES RESTICTIONS: Hackett Publishing holds the rights to sell this title to customers in the U.S.A. only.

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  37. Theories of Human Nature & Human Nature: A Reader

    Joel J. Kupperman

     Now available together as a set for a discounted price: Theories of Human Nature, with, Human Nature: A Reader, by Joel J. Kupperman.

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  38. Thinking Clearly about Death (Second Edition)

    Jay F. Rosenberg

    Jay Rosenberg’s penetrating and persuasively argued analysis of the central metaphysical and moral questions pertaining to death has been updated and revised to expand and deepen several of its key arguments and to address conceptual developments of the past fifteen years. Among the topics discussed are: Life After Death; The Limits of Theorizing; The Limits of Imagination; Death and Personhood; Values and Rights; “Mercy Killing”; Prolonging Life; “Rational Suicide”; and One’s Own Death. Rosenberg’s prose is lucid, lively, thoroughly absorbing, and accessible to introductory-level readers. Essential reading for anyone interested in reflecting on this engaging topic.

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  39. Three Conversations about Knowing

    Jay F. Rosenberg

    In Jay Rosenberg’s lively and accessible introductory dialogue, four bright students explore a number of the central topics and problems of contemporary epistemology—skepticism and certainty, internalism and externalism, foundationalism and coherentism, and the nature and limits of justification. Their wide-ranging discussion highlights many of the vivid and imaginative thought-experiments that have shaped both classical and contemporary reflections on the scope and character of our knowledge of the world.

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  40. What Is A Mind?

    Suzanne Cunningham

    “Suzanne Cunningham has produced a wonderful primer on all the major foundational questions being discussed in contemporary philosophy of mind, cognitive science and cognitive neuroscience. The mind-brain relation, the self, knowledge of other minds, the nature of consciousness, the emotions, and the prospects for artificial intelligence, receive complete, even-handed treatment from this experienced teacher’s pen. Cunningham provides wonderful questions, exercises, research topics and bibliographical resources. I suspect many of her probing questions will engage professors as much as they will students. They did me.”
        —Owen Flanagan, James B. Duke Professor of Philosophy, Duke University

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  41. Who's To Say?

    Norman Melchert

    “It is a perfect intro. book for our course on relativism. It hits all the major arguments clearly, concisely, persuasively, and at just the right level for undergraduates.”
         —Thomas J. Burke, Jr., Hillsdale College

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  42. Women in the Academy

    C. D. C. Reeve

    "These compelling dialogues invite and inspire readers to engage in a reflective journey of discovery focusing on several key philosophical themes. They provide a unique and valuable resource ideal for an introduction to philosophy and to feminist theory."
         —Robin Wang, Loyola Marymount University

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